2012 Mitsubishi Galant: common problems

Owners of the 2012 Mitsubishi Galant filed 9 complaints with NHTSA, most often about wheels and engine. Details by component below, with sources.

Key figures

Owner complaints: 9
involving a crash: 1

What fails most often

1 Wheels 33% of all complaints
2 Engine 22% of all complaints
3 Air bags 11% of all complaints
4 Electrical system 11% of all complaints
5 Electronic stability control 11% of all complaints
6 Powertrain 11% of all complaints
7 Visibility 11% of all complaints

Circle size and colour show each component’s share of NHTSA complaints. Schematic only, not a drawing of the exact model.

Wheels: 3 complaints (33% of all), 1 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
Engine: 2 complaints (22% of all).
Air bags: 1 complaints (11% of all).
Electrical system: 1 complaints (11% of all).
Electronic stability control: 1 complaints (11% of all).

Engines and transmissions

US-market versions per EPA. On the right: how many NHTSA complaints name this engine or transmission type.

2.4 L · petrol · 4 cyl
automatic, 4-speed

Drive: FWD

Symptoms owners describe

How many of the 9 NHTSA complaints mention each symptom (automatic count from complaint text; one complaint can mention several).

stalls while driving2 · 22%
vibration1 · 11%
warning lights, check engine1 · 11%
windows, sunroof1 · 11%

Components owners complain about

Component	Owner complaints	involving a crash
Wheels	3	1
Engine	2	0
Air bags	1	0
Electrical system	1	0
Electronic stability control	1	0
Powertrain	1	0
Visibility	1	0
Other	1	0

What owners report

Short excerpts of NHTSA complaints in the original wording. These are owner statements not verified by NHTSA; personal data removed.

Lug nuts on these tires begin to loosen them selves within 1000 miles. My lug nuts will randomly fall off and need replaced. I can always tell my tires about to fall off when you use the break and they sound like they are going out.
Wheels · crash · 2023-02-08 · NHTSA complaint #11506163
No warning light was illuminated. Medical attention was not received. The contact stated that there was no impact to the vehicle that could have caused the air bags to deploy. The contact's husband drove the vehicle to the residence. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired by an independent mechanic or dealer.
Air bags · 2025-05-16 · NHTSA complaint #11661432
The driver window is breaking without cause. Has happened on more than one occasion. Did not take picture. But insurance fixed the most recent shattering incident--so if picture needed can obtain in the future. Once occurrence the vehicle was not in motion. Another occurrence the vehicle was in motion.
Electrical system · 2020-05-14 · NHTSA complaint #11324572
I pulled up to a traffic light with 1 car ahead, I stopped with my foot on the brakes. The car started revving up and I thought I was going to hit the car in front
Powertrain · 2016-02-26 · NHTSA complaint #10838665
The contact stated that there was an abnormal vibration on the front driver side of the vehicle while driving 60 mph. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, but was not diagnosed or repaired. The vehicle had the tires re-balanced approximately six times. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure.
Wheels · 2015-11-24 · NHTSA complaint #10806468
Galante and on multiple times my car has stalled out with exceleration fron a dead stop while trying to cross through intersection and making turn. Last time in shop was a proxy 3 2015 where they could not find nothing wrong.
Engine · 2015-06-22 · NHTSA complaint #10726632
The contact stated that after accelerating and making a right turn, the vehicle stalled. The failure occurred twice. The vehicle was taken to the dealer for diagnostic testing, however they could not duplicate the failure. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The vin was not available.
Engine · 2014-09-05 · NHTSA complaint #10631115
Tl* the contact owns a 2012 mitsubishi galant. While driving approximately 10 mph, the contact noticed a tumbling sound from the front passenger side wheel. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic for diagnostic testing.
Wheels · 2012-09-25 · NHTSA complaint #10476998

When owners complained

NHTSA complaints by filing year. The peak shows at what age the problems show up most.

20121
20141
20152
20161
20171
20201
20231
20251

Comparison

By complaint count this model year ranks 11,366 of 36,656 model years in the NHTSA data (top 31% most complained about).

On average one model year of the Galant has 64 complaints (28 years in the data). This year has 9, below average.

What to check before buying

Wheels. Wheel runout, cracks, signs of a wheel strike.
Engine. Cold start, unusual noises, oil leaks and engine codes.
Air bags. Check the SRS light, stored codes and airbag/curtain status after any impact.
Electrical system. Scan all modules, test the battery and alternator, inspect connectors near the impact zone.

Questions and answers

What are the most common problems with the 2012 Mitsubishi Galant?

Owner complaints to NHTSA most often mention: wheels, engine, air bags. Total complaints: 9. The most frequent symptoms in complaint texts: stalls while driving (22%), vibration (11%), warning lights, check engine (11%).

How many service bulletins (TSB) were issued for the 2012 Mitsubishi Galant?

NHTSA lists 0 manufacturer service bulletins for this year. A bulletin tells dealers how to diagnose or fix a known issue; it is not a recall.

Should I buy a 2012 Mitsubishi Galant from a US auction?

Owner complaints describe defects, not crash damage. Before bidding, check the components listed above and review the lot photos: VinWind builds a report of visible and hidden damage by VIN.

Other 2012 models

Read also

Sources: public NHTSA data (USA): service bulletins and owner complaints; YouTube: links to videos credited to their authors. Complaints are owner statements not verified by NHTSA, and describe defects rather than crash damage. Data updated 2026-11-05.